This invention relates to a winch conversion for a standard winch to provide self-tailing capabilities. Self-tailing refers to the ability to automatically pull and pay out rope as the winch is either manually or mechanically operated. Standard winch refers to a non-self-tailing winch.
Sailboat winches are expensive, and a sailor is hesitant to replace a standard winch with a self-tailing winch because of the cost and the non-use of a costly asset.
Previous modifications of standard sailboat winches to add self-tailing capabilities have been limited to drastic re-manufacturing of the winch, involving complete or nearly complete replacement of the winch drum. Obviously this is very costly, approaching the cost of a self-tailing winch.
In accordance with the invention described herein, a standard sailboat winch or capstan is converted to a self-tailing winch without modification of the drum, or with only very minor modification. A rope crown or rope jaw is attached to an upper part of the drum of the standard winch so as to rotate along with the drum and to prevent relative rotation on the drum. The rope jaw has an annular rope-receiving groove positioned generally concentrically with the winch. A feeder arm is secured to the stationary center stem or spindle of the standard winch, providing a line guide adjacent to and outwardly from the winch drum in a stationary position, and also preferably providing a rope stripper. The line guide feeds a rope out of a coil on the rope drum, over the feeder arm and into the rope-receiving groove of the rope jaw.
In a preferred embodiment, the rope jaw is attached to the top of the winch drum at the upper crown of the drum. It can be secured by a screw threaded engagement; a bottom part of the rope jaw device has a female thread extending down over the upper crown of the winch drum, and engaging with a male threaded ring which is assembled in several sections at the lower side of the upper rope drum crown. The stationary center stem or spindle of the winch is essentially extended upwardly by a fitting that engages with the top of the center stem and provides a stationary top end into which the feeder arm is stationarily secured.
In this top mounting version, the existing spanner nut and winch drum are temporarily removed and an extension is then threaded onto the existing winch shaft. The extension is then secured with multiple internal set-screws so as to lock the extension in a fixed position upon which the self tailing adapter or pulley and line lifter/stripper arm can be installed. The extension consists of a smooth bearing portion with an additional indexing portion that aligns with that of the line lifter/stripper arm so that the line lifter/stripper arm remains in a stationary position while allowing the adapter to rotate while affixed to the winch drum. After installation, the original spanner nut is replaced securing the drum and self tailing assembly.
In another embodiment, the rope jaw is secured underneath the top crown of the standard drum, the lower jaw of the rope jaw being assembled from sections.
It is thus among the objects of the invention to provide an economical and easily implemented self-tailing winch conversion for a standard sailboat winch or capstan. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, considered along with the drawings.